Brick packaging apparatus



March 24, 1964 c. D. CROSS BRICK PACKAGING APPARATUS '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 23, 1962 INVENTOR. Charles D. Cross &W

ATTORNEYS C. D. CROSS BRICK PACKAGING APPARATUS March 24, 1964 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 25, 1962 Charles 1). Cross BY g 5% wtkw ATTORNEYS March 24, 1964 c. D. CROSS 3,125,840

BRICK PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed March 25, 1962 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Charles D. Cross ATTORNEYS March 24 1964 c, c oss 3,125,840

BRICK PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed March 23, 1962 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

Charles D. Cross BY 9/2204, Mg w ATTORNEYS C. D. CROSS BRICK PACKAGING APPARATUS March 24, 1964 7 Sheets-Sheet-S Filed March 23, 1962 INVENTOR. Chwrles D. Cross ATTORNEYS C. D. CROSS March 24, 1964 BRICK PACKAGING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 23, 1962 INVENTOR. Charles D. Cross ATTORNEYS HEL E0220 KER- United States Patent 3,125,840 BRHIK PACKAGING APPARATUS Qhmles ll). Cross, Jasper, Ala., assignor to Natco Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 181,853 4 Claims. (Cl. 53157) The invention relates to a brick packaging method and apparatus, and more particularly it pertains to a method and apparatus for the placement of a plurality of glazed bricks in a paperboard container as well as the placement of paperboard separator cards between the bricks.

Methods and apparatus for packaging objects of various character have been in use for many years. Various means have been combined for assembling and moving objects to be packaged in dilferent manners in order to accomplish an ultimate packaged product. The character of the object has a direct influence upon how the objects are to be assembled and moved into a container. Some objects have a relatively low bulk to Weight ratio, and other objects have a relatively high ratio. Still other objects are soft and require careful manipulation from the time they are brought together until they are finally placed in a container. As a result the construction and operation of the packaging device must be created in accordance with the properties of the object to be packaged.

Where the predominant character of the object is frangibility, it is necessary that the objects be manipulated carefully. Separators must be placed between the objects to prevent their being bumped together. Ceramic products with glazed surfaces are frangible objects which require extreme care during packaging and handling. In order to reduce labor costs of handling and packaging, the need for an automatic packaging device has been recognized. Because of the extreme care necessary in handling ceramic products with glazed surfaces, a satisfactory automatic packaging machine for collecting the separate bricks, and maneuvering them into a shipping container without chipping the glazed surfaces has not been available.

It has been found that glazed brick may be packaged by the insertion of paperboard card separators between the bricks as they are preliminarily assembled. Thereafter the bricks may be moved as one body into a shipping container. The non-glazed surfaces of the brick may be slid on supporting surfaces of a packaging device without damage to glazed surfaces. The method and apparatus for achieving a packaged assembly of bricks accomplishes a great savings of labor costs as well as time.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a new method and apparatus for packaging ceramic bricks having glazed surfaces which avoid the diflicnlties, disadvantages, and limits of prior methods and apparatus.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of, and apparatus for, assembling glazed surfaced bricks by providing paperboard separator cards between each brick unit and thereafter maneuvering the brick through in various directions into a container for the brick.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for manipulating glazed brick into an assembled group and thereafter manipulating the bricks as a unit into a receptacle without damage to the glazed surfaces.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of, and apparatus for, placing and holding a preliminarily folded paperboard brick container into a position for receiving the assembled bricks from a brick assembling position.

These and other objects and advantages apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and claims may be obtained, the stated results achieved, and the described difficulties overcome, by the methods, steps, procedures, operations, apparatus, parts, elements and combinations which comprise the present invention, the nature of which is set forth in the following general statements, a preferred embodiment of whichillustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principlesis set forth in the following description and shown in the drawings, and which is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming a part hereof.

The nature of the improved method of packaging bricks having glazed surfaces of the present invention may be stated in general terms as including the steps of conveying a plurality of bricks at spaced intervals with respect to each other, accumulating a predetermined number of said bricks at an assembly station, inserting brick separator cards between the accumulated bricks as they move together, elevating said predetermined assembly of bricks from the assembly station, transporting said elevated bricks to an intermediate station in order to permit the continued accumulation of subsequent bricks at the assembly station, placing a brick packaging container at a position laterally spaced from said intermediate station, moving the assembled bricks laterally into the package, and moving the packaged brick container out of position to permit placement of a subsequent brick container.

The nature of the improved apparatus of the present invention may be stated in general terms as including brick conveyor belt means for moving spaced brick to a brick-assembly station, the brick-assembly station including elevator platform means for receiving the spaced brick from the conveyor belt means in an assembled closepacked brick unit, card dispenser means for inserting brick separator cards between the spaced bricks as they accumulate at the assembly station, fluid pressure means connected to the elevator platform for moving the bricks on the platform longitudinally away from the assembly station to an intermediate station, brick-receiving cartondispenser means located at a second intermediate position for placing a single brick receiving carton in position, fluid pressure means at the first intermediate position for moving the assembled brick unit off the elevator platform and laterally into the brick-receiving carton, fluid pressure means for moving the assembled brick container out of said second intermediate position for clearing the position for reception of another brick-receiving carton, and the several means for moving the bricks being operable and retractable to their respective positions by sequence control means.

A preferred embodiment of the method and apparatus of the present invention may be shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the device showing the basic units for handling and packaging the brick at various stations;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus partially broken away showing the support means for the several operating parts thereof;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the device shown in EEG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the manner in which brick separator cards are inserted in place;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the operating parts of the card dispenser;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing an alternate position of the device shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 99 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan view showing an alternate position of the brick elevator, showing the brick in broken line, and showing air jet means for partially opening a brick-receiving container;

FIG. 11 is a plan view similar to that of FIG. 10 showing a subsequent position of the brick elevator end of the brick pushing piston with the brick shown in broken line;

FIG. 12 is a perspective View of the brick container or tray showing the collapsed position in broken line;

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view through the brick feeding magazine and showing in solid and broken lines alternate positions of the suction cup means for withdrawing a tray from the lower end of the feeder and placing it in position for reception of bricks;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged vertical sectional view partly in elevation showing in solid and broken lines the positions of the device for withdrawing brick-receiving trays from the lower end of the feeder magazine;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the device taken on the line 15- 15 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the cam plugs for actuating the tray moving device;

FIG. 17 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 1717 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is an elevational view of the device taken on the line 18-18 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 19 is a diagram of the several pneumatically operate-d valves, cylinders, and vacuum cups used in the apparatus; and

FIG. 20 is an electrical diagram of the device.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.

In FIG. 1 the brick packaging apparatus is generally indicated at 1. It includes a brick conveyor 2, a brick assembly station '3, a transfer station 4, a loading station 5, a card dispenser 6, and a brick-receiving tray dispenser 7.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the brick conveyor 2 includes a continuous conveyor belt 8 having spaced flights 9 mounted at spaced intervals thereon which belt is mounted on and between a head pulley 111 and a tail pulley 11. The conveyor 2 is mounted on a horizontal support means 12, the ends of which rest upon upright members 13 and 14. The head pulley 10 is mounted on a shaft 15, the ends of which are journaled in similar blocks 16 as shown in FIG. 2 at one end of the support means 12. The blocks 16 are vertically adjustable by a set screw .17. The pulley 1G is operated by drive means including a motor 18, a gear box 19, a roller chain 20, and a sprocket gear 21 as shown in FIG. 2.

The belt 8 is provided with means 22 on a shaft 23 of the pulley 11 for adjusting tautness of the belt including a set screw 24.

The flights 9 on the conveyor belt 3 are preferably angle members, each flight having a base portion 25 attached to the belt and an upright portion, the upper ends 26 of which are turned backwardly with respect to the direction of movement of the belt as indicated by the arrow 27. Accordingly, individual bricks 28 are placed manually on the belt 8 between the flights 26 and the bricks are thereby conveyed to the right end of the brick conveyor 2 as shown in FIG. 2 where the bricks move onto the assembly station 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the assembly station 3 includes a pair of elongated spaced skid bars 2% which extend on opposite sides of the belt 8 longitudinally from overlapping adjacent positions with the belt to positions beyond the belt. The assembly station 3 also includes an elevator platform 311* which is disposed between and slightly below spaced skid bars 29. As the bricks 28 move toward the assembly station 3 on the conveyor belt 8, they move onto the left end portions of the bars (FIG. 1)

and are pushed along the bars by the upper ends 26 of the flights until the bricks are clear of the path of movement of the flights as they turn downwardly with the belt 8 around the head pulley 10. Succeeding bricks 23 are similarly pushed along the skids 2% by corresponding flights 26 until a predetermined number of bricks 28 are accumulated at the assembly station 3 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Any number of bricks 28 may be accumulated at the assembly station by adjustable means. For the purpose of illustration, six bricks are assembled at the assembly station 3 as a brick unit 28a. The unit is subsequently transported from station to station into a brick-receiving tray 31 at the loading station 5, as shown in FIG. 11. Finally, the assembly station 3 includes elevator means such as a pneumatic lift 32 below the elevator platform 30. The lower end of the lift is mounted on support plate 33 which in turn is mounted on a pair of similar spaced sleeve bearings 34 which are slidably mounted on corresponding horizontal shafts 35 (FIGS. 2 and 11). The right ends of said shafts extend under and between the assembly station 3 and the transfer station 4.

The transfer station 4 is an alternate position of the elevator platform 30 (as shown in FIG. 10) and includes a vertical stop plate 36, a pusher plate 37 at one end of a pneumatic cylinder 33, and a pneumatic cylinder 39. A rod 40 is connected to the support plate 33 for moving the elevator back and forth on the rods 35 between the assembly station 3 and the transfer station 4 when the brick unit 28a is brought to the transfer station 4 as shown in FIG. 10. The pusher plate 37 moves the bricks from said station into the brick tray 31 at the loading station 5.

In FIG. 1 the loading station includes a table 41 on which the tray 31 (-FIG. 12) is supported before and after it is loaded with a brick unit 28a. In addition, the loading station -5 includes a pusher plate 42 at one end of a pneumatic ram 43 by which the assembly of the tray 31 with brick unit 28a is pushed to the right (FIG. 11) off the table 41 onto loaded tray conveyor means such as an inclined roller table (not shown).

The loading station includes the brick-receiving tray dispenser 7 as well as means for holding the tray 31 in place and includes vacuum cups 44 (FIGS. 13, 14, and 17) which extend through three spaced apertures 45 in the table 41. Furthermore, the loading station 5 includes air jet means (FIGS. 10 and 11) including a pair of spaced air nozzles 46 and '47 which, as shown in FIG. 10, are connected by an air conduit 43 to a source of compressed air (not shown). The nozzles 46 and 47 direct streams 49' of compressed air onto a folded or collapsed tray 31 as soon as the pusher plate 37 begins to push the unit 2811 to station 5. As shown in FIG. 13, the streams 49 are directed beneath a folded back portion 31a of the tray 31 for lifting the back portion sufliciently to enable the brick unit 28a to be pushed into the tray. Further advancement of the brick unit 28a brings the back portion 31a of the tray into upright position again. The pusher plate 37 (FIG. 11) advances the unit 28a to a stop plate 51 and then the plate 37 returns automatically, in a manner to be described below, to the position of FIG. 10.

As the bricks 28 move off the brick conveyor '2 onto the skid bars 29, they are pushed together to form the brick unit 28a. To prevent the bricks from being chipped by contacting each other a separator member or card 52, preferably composed of paperboard, such as chipboard, is inserted between each pair of bricks.

As shown in FIG. 5, a single card 52 is ejected from the card dispenser 6 as the separate bricks 28 are pushed together by the flights 9. The upper end portion 26 of each flight pushes each brick along the skid bars '29 after a card 52 has been inserted in place. As the belt 8 continues its rotation around the pulley '10 the flights 9 move the bricks to the right, as viewed in FIG. 5, and into compact assembly with prior bricks, forming the brick unit 28a composed of a predetermined number of bricks, such as six.

The backturned upper end portion =26 of each flight facilitates the final assembly of the bricks and, While turning downwardly with the belt 8, pushes the entire brick unit 28a to the right until six bricks have been assembled.

The elevator means 32 raises and moves the unit 28a from the assembly station 3 to the transfer station 4 (FIG. 10), thereby providing space immediately at the assembly station for an assembly of another brick unit 28a.

The card dispenser 6, as shown in FIGS. 1 and -9, includes a feeder magazine 53, a mounting plate 54, a pneumatic cylinder 55, and a card pusher plate 67. The magazine 53 has bottom 57 and side walls 58 and 59 in which a plurality of separator cards 52 are stored. The magazine 53 is inclined downwardly with the lower end, which is secured by bolts 60 to the mounting plate 54, disposed over the location where the separate bricks 28 come together as shown in FIG. 5.

The feeder magazine 53 is also provided with a pair of mounting blocks 61, which by bolts 62 are secured to the mounting plate 54 (FIG. 9). A pair of sleeve bearings 63 and 64 are mounted on each side of the feeder on spaced horizontal support bars 65, whereby the horizontal position of the dispensing end of the feeder can be adjusted in accordance with a greater or lesser number of bricks 28 in a brick unit 28a. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the bars 65 are supported at opposite ends by similar supporting means 66, the lower ends of which are secured to the basic support frame of the apparatus.

In addition to the mounting plate a card pusher plate 67 is slidably mounted on the side of the plate 54 adjacent the magazine 53. The plate 67 is rectangular and is provided with an undercut edge 68 (FIGS. 6, 7, and 8) which edge has a depth substantially equal to the thickness of one card 52. As shown in FIG. 9, opposite vertical edges of the plate 67 are mounted between the blocks 61 and the mounting plate 54 whereby the plate is slidable vertically between the positions of the plate shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. For that purpose the plate 54 is provided with a vertical slot 69 through which a clevis 70 extends. The inner end of the clevis 70 is attached by screws 71 to the plate 67 and the outer end of the clevis 70 is secured to the lower end of a piston rod 72 so that operation of the pneumatic cylinder 55 moves the card pusher plate 67 downwardly along the mounting plate 54 and thereby ejects a card 52 from the feeder as shown in FIG. 5. In FIG. 9 a friction reducing member 73, preferably composed of Teflon, is mounted between the plates 54 and 67 to facilitate operation of the plate 67. A pair of spacer blocks 74 are mounted between the member 73 and the blocks 61 where the blocks 74 are retained in place by the several bolts 60 and 62.

In order to reduce friction between the card 52 and the pusher plate 67, the plate is provided with air escape means such as elongated notches 75 and a slot 76 (FIG. 8).

The tray dispenser 7 includes the magazine 50 as well as a tray positioner generally indicated at 77. The magazine 50 has the general configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and includes a bottom wall 78, spaced sidewalls 79, and inclined walls 80 between the bottom and sidewalls. The lower end of the magazine includes an end wall 81 which is provided with a pair of spaced slots 82 as best shown in FIG. 1. A plurality of collapsed brick trays 31 may be stacked in the inclined magazine as shown. Opposite ends only of the wall 81 are attached to the sidewalls 79 and the lower ends of the bottom wall 78 and inclined walls 80 are cut back (FIG. 13) by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of one collapsed tray 31 to provide a tray withdrawal opening 83 through Which one tray may be pulled from the bottom of the stack of trays 31 as shown in FIG. 13.

The tray positioner 77 includes a pair of spaced suction cups 84 which are separated by a distance equal to the spacing between the slots 82. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1, 13, and 15, a pair of similar openings 85 are 1 provided in the table for vertical movement of the cups which are mounted on the upper ends of elongated air tubes 86 as shown in FIG. 15. The lower ends of the tubes 86 are connected to a tubular member 87, the center of which is connected to a venturi block 88 which is situated centrally between the ends of said member.

As shown in FIGS. 14-16, the tray positioner also includes a penumatic cylinder 89 having a piston rod 90 for advancing and retracting the pair of cups 84 between an uppermost position (FIG. 4) where the cups engage a tray 31 in the tray magazine, and a lowermost position (FIG. 14) where the cups are retracted below the surface of the table 41. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 the assembly of the member 87 and the venturi block 88 is pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 91 to permit slight vertical rotation of the assembly about said pin as the positioner is extended and retracted. The pivot pin 91 is mounted in a yoke member 92 which is mounted on a support member 93 which in turn is slidably mounted on a pair of spaced tracks 94 which extend between the cylinder 89 and the table 41 of the loading station 5. The member 93 includes inturned end portions 95 which engage the tracks 94 so that the member 93 is free to slide along the tracks 94 with advance and retraction of the piston rod 90, the upper end of which is secrn'ed to the member (FIG. 16).

The tray positioner also includes a cam 96 which is mounted on a lateral support member extending between the tracks. As shown in FIG. 16, the cam 96 includes an inclined upper cam surface 98 which engages a correspondingly inclined cam surface 99 on a cam block 100 situated on the undersurface of the tubular member 87. Accordingly, when the piston rod 90 advances to its fully extended position, the cam surface 99 engages the cam surface 98 and thereby turns the suction cups 84 into engagement with the lowermost tray 31 in the magazine 50.

At that moment a partial vacuum is applied to the cups through the inner connecting members including the tubes 86 and 87 by the venturi block 88 which is connected by a hose or conduit 101 to a source of compressed air. The cups are secured against the undersurface of the tray 31 and the piston rod 90 is retracted to slide one tray 31 (FIG. 13) through the tray withdrawal opening 85. Before the suction cups 84 pass through the openings 85 in the table 41, the partial suction created in the cups is released, causing the tray 31 to drop from the broken line position to the solid line position (FIG. 13) with the right edge of the tray against the stop plate 51. Simultaneously, a partial vacuum is created in the vacuum cups 44 through a conduit system 102 (FIG. 17) for holding the tray 31 snugly in place against the top surface of the table 41.

As the unit 28a of bricks begins to move from the position of FIG. 10 to that of FIG. 11, compressed air streams 49 are ejected from the air nozzles 46 and 47 for partially raising the tray portion 31a as shown in FIG. 13. As the bricks continue to move to FIG. 11, they engage the partially raised portion 31a and open the tray completely by pushing the side 31a against the stop plate 51.

The apparatus 1 is completely supported on support frame members including not only the upright members 13 and 14 but also vertical members 103106 as well as horizontal members 107409.

Operation The sequence of operation of the several pneumatic cylinders, vacuum cups, and air jet nozzles is controlled by'an electrical system which is shown in FIG. 20. The several pneumatic cylinders, vacuum cups, and air jet 7 nozzles are shown diagrammatically in a pneumatic systern in FIG. 19. The operation begins with the closing of the circuit through a start-stop switch 110 which circuit also includes a number of similar emergency switches 111 which are located at various stations on the apparatus 1. A relay 112 is thereby activated which in turn closes a circuit through normally open relay contacts 113. In that manner an air cutoff valve 114 (FIG. 19) is actuated to connect an air supply (not shown) to the air feed lines to the several cylinders, vacuum cups, and jet nozzles.

The circuit through the conveyor motor 18 also includes a start-stop switch 115, a number of remote conveyor stop switches 116, and a selector switch 117 for automatic or manual operation. When the switch 117 is in the manual position, a relay 118 is energized which opens the circuit through relay contacts 119.

During normal automatic operation of the apparatus 1 the bricks 28 are placed on the moving conveyor belt 8, between the spaced flights 9. At the end of the belt as the first brick enters assembly station 3, it passes under and beyond a limit switch 121 (FIG. which closes and Opens the switch, and continues by movement of a corresponding flight 9 to a limit switch 121 where it stops, holding the switch 121 in a closed position.

As a second brick 28 moves through the switch 120, it completes the circuit through both switches 120 and 121 to actuate a relay 122 having normally opened contacts 123 for actuating valve means 55a of the pneumatic cylinder 55 for ejecting a card 52 between the first and second bricks 28 as shown in FIG. 5.

On the down stroke of the card feeder cylinder 55 a limit switch 124 (FIGS. 6, 7, and 9) is closed to operate a relay 125 having normally open contacts 126 and normally closed contacts 127. The normally closed contacts 127 are opened to de-energize relay 122 causing the card feeder cylinder 55 to return to its normal position. At the same time the normally open contacts 126 are held closed through limit switches 120 and 121, keeping relay 125 energized which prevents the card feeder cylinder 55 from ejecting a second card between the same bricks.

Thereafter, as the brick 28 passes beyond the limit switch 120, the circuit is broken causing relay 125 to be de-energized and return to its normal position.

When a sixth brick 23 then moves off the belt, it pushes the previous five bricks 28 to the right as viewed in FIG. 2, causing the first brick 28 to actuate a limit switch 128 (FIG. 2), to close a circuit through a relay 129, which closes the normally open relay contacts 130 to actuate valve means 32a of the brick lift cylinder on elevator means 32.

At the same time the relay 129 closes another pair of contacts 131 so that after the bricks are lifted out of contact with the switch 128, the circuit through said switch is open but the circuit through the relay remains closed, holding the elevator platform 30 in the elevated position.

In the elevated position a dog 132 on the elevator platform (FIG. 5) actuates a limit switch 133 to close a circuit through a relay 134 having contacts 135 and 136 which are normally open. As shown in FIG. 20 the closed contacts 135 close a circuit through a valve 39a (FIG. 19) for actuating the pneumatic cylinder 35 which pulls the elevator platform 30 to the right by the rod 40 as viewed in FIG. 3. As the platform 30 moves away from the limit switch 133 the latter returns to the normally opened position. However, the closed contacts 136 (FIG. 20) maintain a closed circuit through the relay 134 to permit a complete stroke of the piston rod 40.

Near the end of the stroke of the rod 40, a dog 138 (FIG. 2) on the underside of one cylinder 34 actuates a limit switch 133 for closing a circuit through a relay 140 having contacts 141 and 142 which are normally open. The dog 138 travels a distance great enough to strike limit switch 139 and then release said switch to provide momentary contact. At the time momentary contact is made relay is energized and closes contacts 142 to hold the circuit closed. At the same time the contact 141 closes a circuit through valve means 38a for actuating cylinder 38 and pushing the brick unit 28a off the elevator platform 30 into the tray 31 at loading station 5. As the pusher plate 37 advances from the position of FIG. 10 to that of FIG. 11, a dog 143 strikes a limit switch 144. The dog 143 is elongated (FIG. 11), and holds the switch 144 closed and actuates a valve 46a for turning on the air jet nozzles 46 and 47, which continue blowing until the bricks start to enter the partially opened tray 31, that is, until the end of the elongated dog 143 passes off the switch 144.

When the pusher plate 37 reaches the end of its stroke (FIG. 11), the dog strikes a normally open switch 145 (FIGS. 4 and 11) which energizes relay 146 having contacts 147 and 147a which in turn actuate valve means 43a for the cylinder 43 and for holding the circuit energized as the pusher plate 37 retracts and moves off the limit switch 145. As shown in FIG. 20, the limit switch 145 includes three other portions which are normally closed in the circuits of the relays 129, 134, and 141) and when the normally closed portions of the switch 145 are open, the brick elevator platform 30 lowers to its original position, the cylinder 39 advances the elevator platform to its original position (FIG. 11), and the pusher plate 37 returns to its original position (FIG. 3), whereby said members are positioned to receive the foregoing cycle.

When the cylinder 43 is fully extended, a dog on the pusher plate 42 strikes a normally closed limit switch 147b, opening the circuit through the relay 146 which causes the cylinder 43 to reverse its direction. During return of the pusher plate 42 to its original position, it closes a normally open switch 148 for energizing a timer relay 149 having contacts 150 and 151. The timer relay contacts 150 are instantaneously closed, but are timed to reopen. When the pusher plate 42 is in its fully retracted position, the dog on the plate 42 actuates and holds a limit switch 156.

In the meantime, however, the contact 150 actuates a valve 8% for actuating the cylinder 89 for advancing the suction cups 84 to the position of FIG. 4. At the same time, contacts 151 close to hold the circuit closed through timer relay 149 as the dog on the pusher plate 42 has released limit switch 148 as it returns to its fully retracted position. When the vacuum cups 84 have been fully advanced a limit switch 152, having a normally open portion and a normally closed portion, is actuated. The normally open portion of limit switch 152 is closed to energize a relay 153 having contacts 154 for actuating valve means 84a of the suction cups 84 whereby suction is applied through the cups to the lowermost tray 31 in the magazine 50. The normally closed portion of limit switch 152 is opened to de-energize timer relay 149 which opens contacts 151 and provides a timed opening of contacts 150. The delayed release of the contacts 150 permits the suction cups 84 to be properly seated. Upon opening of the delayed contacts 150, the tray positioning cylinder 89 retracts the suction cups through the openings 85, bringing the tray 31 (FIG. 13) onto the position shown in solid line.

During the return stroke of the cylinder 89 a limit switch 155 is opened, causing the valve 84a to turn off the vacuum through the cups 84.

When the pusher plate 42 returns to its fully retracted position (FIG. 3), it actuates a limit switch 156 which operates an air valve 44a for creating partial pressure in the suction cups 44 which hold the tray 31 in place upon the table 41. With that operation the cycle is completed. However, operation of other parts of the apparatus continue, such as the elevator 32 and pusher plate 37 returning to their normal positions for acting upon subsequent bric-ks 2 8 which accumulate at the assembly station 3 while the pusher plate 42 is pushing a brick loaded tray 31 to the right (as shown in FIG. 1) from the table 41.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and not for the purpose of limitation and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the invention is not limited to the exact apparatus shown because the particular arrangement of the parts may be varied to provide other structural embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Having now described the features of the invention, the construction and operation of a preferred embodiment of the improved apparatus, the details of the steps of the improved method, and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained thereby, the new and useful inventions, methods, steps, procedures, operations, apparatus, parts, elements and combinations, discoveries, principles, and [reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof, obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A brick packaging apparatus for packaging bricks having glazed surfaces, the apparatus including an assembly station, an intermediate station, and a container-loading station; a continuous conveyor belt having a plurality of spaced flights and having a brick unloading end; the assembly station including a pair of spaced brick skid bars extending from and overlapping the unloading end of the belt; the spacing between the skid bars being substantially equal to the length of the flights and permitting movement of the flights therebetween; means for inserting brick separator cards between the bricks as they move together into an assembled unit at the assembly station and including an inclined card magazine and a card ejector at the lower end of the magazine; the assembly station including an elevator platform disposed between the spaced skid bars and mounted on pneumatic cylinder means; second pneumatic cylinder means connected to the elevator cylinder means for moving the platform between the assembly station and the intermediate station; third pneumatic cylinder means for moving the assembled brick unit from the intermediate station into a brick container at the loading station; and fourth pneumatic cylinder means for moving the brick loaded container out of the loading station; a container magazine inclined above the loading station and having a container withdrawal slot; suction cup means for engaging and moving a container through the slot and onto the loading station; means for mounting and moving the suction cup means between the position of engagement with a card in the magazine and a retracted position below the loading station; air jet means for initially opening a collapsed container on the loading station; a pneumatic system including a source of air pressure and control valves connected to the several pneumatic cylinders, suction cup means, and air jet means; and an electric circuit including limit switches for controlling the sequential operation of the several parts of the apparatus; whereby separate bricks placed on the conveyor belt between the flights are conveyed by the belt to the assembly station where the bricks are moved together and from which the assembled unit is conveyed longitudinally to the intermediate station from which the bricks are then moved laterally into a brickreceiving container.

2. A brick packaging apparatus for packaging bricks having glazed surfaces, the apparatus including an assembly station, an intermediate station, and a container loading station; brick conveyor means for moving spaced bricks into an assembled unit at the assembly station and including a continuous conveyor belt having a plurality of spaced flights, the assembly station including skid means for slida-bly receiving bricks from the conveyor belt and for supporting a predetermined number of bricks as an assembled unit as they are moved together by the flights on the belt; means for inserting brick separator members between the spaced bricks as they move together into the assembled unit, means for elevating and moving the assembled unit to the intermediate station, means for placing an empty container at the container loading station, means for moving the assembled unit into an empty container, means for moving the brick-loaded container out of the loading station, and means including an electric circuit with limit switches for sequentially regulating the operation of the sever-a1 means.

'3. A brick packaging apparatus for packaging bricks having glazed surfaces, the apparatus including an assembly station, an intermediate station, and a loading station; brick conveyor means for moving spaced bricks into an assembled unit at the assembly station, means for inserting brick separator members between the spaced bricks as they move together into the assembled unit and including a feeder having an inclined magazine and a memher-payoff device for ejecting one member at a time, the payoff device being located at the lower end of the inclined magazine above the assembly station where the bricks move together, means for elevating and moving the assembled unit to the intermediate station, means for placing an empty container at the container loading station, means for moving the assembled unit into an empty container, means for moving the brick-loaded container out of the loading station, and means including an electric circuit with limit switches for sequentially regulating the operation of the several means.

4. 'A brick packaging apparatus for packaging bricks having .glazed surfaces, the apparatus including an assembly station, an intermediate station, and a loading station; brick conveyor means for moving spaced bricks into an assembled unit at the assembly station, means for inserting brick separator members between the spaced bricks as they move together into the assembled unit, means for elevating and moving the assembled unit to the intermediate station, means for placing an empty container at the container loading station, and including an inclined magazine and means for withdrawing a container from the magazine and for placing said container at the loading station and including suction cup means for engaging and withdrawing a container from the lower end of the magazine, the suction cup means being mounted for movement between the magazine and the retracted positions, means for moving the assembled unit into an empty container, means for moving the brick-loaded container out of the loading station, and means including an electric circuit with limit switches for sequentially regulating the operation of the several means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,291,645 Nordquist Aug. 4, 1942 2,649,232 Ferguson Aug. 18, 1953 2,651,896 Woodruff Sept. 15, 1953 2,678,151 Jeisler May '11, 1954 2,968,898 Hickin Jan. 24, 1961 

1. A BRICK PACKAGING APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING BRICKS HAVING GLAZED SURFACES, THE APPARATUS INCLUDING AN ASSEMBLY STATION, AN INTERMEDIATE STATION, AND A CONTAINER-LOADING STATION; A CONTINUOUS CONVEYOR BELT HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED FLIGHTS AND HAVING A BRICK UNLOADING END; THE ASSEMBLY STATION INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED BRICK SKID BARS EXTENDING FROM AND OVERLAPPING THE UNLOADING END OF THE BELT; THE SPACING BETWEEN THE SKID BARS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF THE FLIGHTS AND PERMITTING MOVEMENT OF THE FLIGHTS THEREBETWEEN; MEANS FOR INSERTING BRICK SEPARATOR CARDS BETWEEN THE BRICKS AS THEY MOVE TOGETHER INTO AN ASSEMBLED UNIT AT THE ASSEMBLY STATION AND INCLUDING AN INCLINED CARD MAGAZINE AND A CARD EJECTOR AT THE LOWER END OF THE MAGAZINE; THE ASSEMBLY STATION INCLUDING AN ELEVATOR PLATFORM DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SPACED SKID BARS AND MOUNTED ON PNEUMATIC CYLINDER MEANS; SECOND PNEUMATIC CYLINDER MEANS CONNECTED TO THE ELEVATOR CYLINDER MEANS FOR MOVING THE PLATFORM BETWEEN THE ASSEMBLY STATION AND THE INTERMEDIATE STATION; THIRD PNEUMATIC CYLINDER MEANS FOR MOVING THE ASSEMBLED BRICK UNIT FROM THE INTERMEDIATE STATION INTO A BRICK CONTAINER AT THE LOADING STATION; AND FOURTH PNEUMATIC CYLINDER MEANS FOR MOVING THE BRICK LOADED CONTAINER OUT OF THE LOADING STATION; A CONTAINER MAGAZINE INCLINED ABOVE THE LOADING STATION AND HAVING A CONTAINER WITHDRAWAL SLOT; SUCTION CUP MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND MOVING A CONTAINER THROUGH THE SLOT AND ONTO THE LOADING STATION; MEANS FOR MOUNTING AND MOVING THE SUCTION CUP MEANS BETWEEN THE POSITION OF ENGAGEMENT WITH A CARD IN THE MAGAZINE AND A RETRACTED POSITION BELOW THE LOADING STATION; AIR JET MEANS FOR INITIALLY OPENING A COLLAPSED CONTAINER ON THE LOADING STATION; A PNEUMATIC SYSTEM INCLUDING A SOURCE OF AIR PRESSURE AND CONTROL VALVES CONNECTED TO THE SEVERAL PNEUMATIC CYLINDERS, SUCTION CUP MEANS, AND AIR JET MEANS; AND AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT INCLUDING LIMIT SWITCHES FOR CONTROLLING THE SEQUENTIAL OPERATION OF THE SEVERAL PARTS OF THE APPARATUS; WHEREBY SEPARATE BRICKS PLACED ON THE CONVEYOR BELT BETWEEN THE FLIGHTS ARE CONVEYED BY THE BELT TO THE ASSEMBLY STATION WHERE THE BRICKS ARE MOVED TOGETHER AND FROM WHICH THE ASSEMBLED UNIT IS CONVEYED LONGITUDINALLY TO THE INTERMEDIATE STATION FROM WHICH THE BRICKS ARE THEN MOVED LATERALLY INTO A BRICKRECEIVING CONTAINER. 